Certificate for Burial or Cremation¶
The Certificate for Burial or Cremation, almost universally called the "green form" because of its colour, is the document the registrar hands the informant at the end of a death registration. Without it the funeral cannot proceed; the funeral director, crematorium, or burial authority has to see the green form before any burial or cremation can be carried out. [source: gov-uk/after-a-death-register-the-death-2026-04-29.html]
The form is issued automatically as part of registration; there's nothing extra to ask for and no fee. The funeral director is the right person to hand it to; they take responsibility for getting it to the crematorium or cemetery. If a coroner is involved, the green form is replaced by a coroner's order for burial (form 101) or certificate for cremation (form 6), issued at the conclusion of the coroner's process.
There's no Scottish or Northern Irish equivalent of the green form as such; both jurisdictions handle authority to bury or cremate through their own registration processes.
Last verified: 29 April 2026 against gov.uk/after-a-death/register-the-death.